Which to use
“varíola” and “viola” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #28,414
- “varíola” frequency rank
- #5,052
- “viola” frequency rank
- 33466
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | varíola | viola |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | doença contagiosa aguda (oficialmente declarada extinta do planeta na década de 1970), de origem viral, caracterizada por febre, dor no corpo, vômitos e lesões cutâneas | instrumento musical de corda semelhante ao violino levemente maior e afinado uma quinta abaixo |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set varíola and viola apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. varíola (/vɐ.ˈɾi.u.lɐ/) and viola (/ˈvjɔ.lɐ/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 33466, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
varíola is recorded at frequency rank #28,414, classified as anoun, pronounced /vɐ.ˈɾi.u.lɐ/. viola is at rank #5,052, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈvjɔ.lɐ/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 33466, this pair ranks #34,053 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of varíola vs viola
Shared letters: alov. Private to "varíola": rí. Private to "viola": i.
"varíola" · 7 letters · shape CVCVVCV · "viola" · 5 letters · shape CVVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- viola ← ivola · viloa · vioal · violla · voila · vviola
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "varíola" and "viola" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "varíola" or "viola"?
Remembering varíola vs viola
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “varíola” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable